


Heartbreaking Loss

by alwaysgocrazy



Category: Stitchers (TV)
Genre: AU, Angst, Death, F/M, Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-18
Updated: 2015-08-20
Packaged: 2018-04-15 10:03:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4602576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alwaysgocrazy/pseuds/alwaysgocrazy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kirsten Clark married the man of her dreams, had a baby with him, and now has another one on the way. But children get sick. Just not typically this sick...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello my lovelies. This is going to be a really sad fic (at least until the end). I already almost cried while writing the first chapter. I hope you enjoy!

“How’s she doing?” asked Cameron as Kirsten crawled into bed with him.

“Better. Her fever’s gone down. She’s still at 100 degrees, but that’s better than 103.” She curled into Cameron’s side, holding him close. “I set up the old baby monitor in case she starts coughing too hard again or starts crying.”

Cameron nodded and kissed the top of Kirsten’s head. “You’re being such a good mom,” he smiled.

She smiled back, tracing over his scar gently. “Speaking of which…” she started softly. “What do you think about having another kid?”

Cameron shrugged. “I’d like that. I sure as hell like the process of making it,” he joked.

That got him a smack on the chest. “You’re disgusting…” smiled Kirsten. “But seriously. You’d like another kid?”

He nodded.

Kirsten pulled away and reached into one of the drawers of her nightstand, pulling out a pregnancy test stick. She handed it to Cameron to look at. “I’m just under two months,” she said with a smile.

Cameron had to put on his glasses to see the two lines. Then a wide smile came across his face. “A-are you serious…?” he asked, looking down.

Kirsten nodded. “I went to the gynie yesterday when I took Olivia to her appointment.” She looked up at Cameron happily, a wide smile across her face. “You’re…you’re okay with having another one, right?” she asked.

“Of course!” he responded eagerly, leaning down to kiss his wife deeply. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close.

Their kiss was interrupted by the door creaking open. “Mommy? I still don’t feel good,” a little girl said softly.

Kirsten rolled back over, seeing Olivia standing there with her teddy bear. “C’mere sweetheart,” she said softly, extending an arm out.

Olivia walked over and crawled into bed with her two parents. Kirsten felt her forehead again. “Go get a cool washcloth,” she told Cameron.

He nodded and slid out of bed while Kirsten comforted their daughter. “What’s wrong now?” she asked softly.

“My head hurts. And my throat. And my chest. My chest really, really hurts, Mommy,” she said nuzzling into Kirsten’s shoulder.

Kirsten got worried at that moment. “Are you cold?” she asked. Olivia nodded. “But you’re also sweating…” she said to herself.

Cameron came out of the bathroom with the requested washcloth. Kirsten had sit up with Olivia at this point. “She has chest pains,” she informed Cameron.

Cameron tilted his head. “She’s been coughing. That’s why,” he said simply, handing Kirsten the washcloth and sitting on the bed.

Olivia began to cough without covering her mouth, making Kirsten do it for her. After a long coughing fit, she pulled her hand away, blood covering it. “Yeah? And that’s normal?”

Cameron’s expression changed completely. He felt Olivia’s head with the back of his hand. “She’s sweaty,” he stated.

Kirsten scooped Olivia up in her arms. “Throw a shirt on and meet me in the car. We’re going to the H-O-S-P-I-T-A-L.” Olivia was one of those kids who hated going to the doctor, and she had recently learned the word “hospital.”

They both hurried, gathering a few things before rushing to the emergency room. It was almost a half hour away, so Cameron sped, hoping there weren’t any cops around checking speed. Kirsten sat in the back with Olivia, holding her close in her arms. The little girl had fallen asleep, causing Kirsten to worry. However, she kept one hand on her wrist to check for a pulse and the other gently on her chest to make sure she kept breathing.

Finally, they arrived and explained what was happening. Immediately, nurses began to mask up and hurry the family into an isolated room.

“What’s happening?” Kirsten asked Cameron.

“I-I don’t know,” he answered honestly.

Olivia was taken from Kirsten’s arms and rested down on a bed, starting to get hooked up to cords and wires.

“Do either of you have or had tuberculosis, been tested for it, or know anybody who has or has had it?” asked one of the nurses, now in a full get up.

Kirsten and Cameron both shook their heads. “We’ve been tested at work before when we first started there, and get tested every two years,” explained Cameron.

The nurse nodded. “We’re going to test you again and make sure you’re free of any other viruses or infections,” she said.

“Why?” Kirsten asked point blank.

The nurse sighed. “We think your daughter might have TB, even though the unlikely circumstances.”

Cameron ran his fingers through his hair, sighing heavily. “Look. Do whatever you need to do, but keep our daughter alive,” he said sternly.

Kirsten didn’t know how to react. She just sort of stood there and stared at their daughter. Could she die? What then? What would she do? Her hands began to shake as she thought about the circumstances and potential outcomes.

Cameron had to guide her out of the room and with the nurse and to the cleansing room. An hour passed when they were finally cleared. They had to put on suits that helped prevent them receiving an infection but also preventing any infections getting into the room. They also had gloves, shoe covers, and masks on their face.

A nurse guided the couple back to their daughter. Olivia was pale and asleep, looking extremely weak and vulnerable. Kirsten ran over and touched her head. “I’m so sorry, baby…” she whispered, feeling like she was about to cry.

Cameron came up behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder. “She’s going to be fine, Kirsten. I promise.”

Olivia began to stir and slowly blinked open her eyes. She was scared at first, not knowing where she was or why the people had masks on, those people being her parents. She was about to start crying when Kirsten pulled her mask down. “It’s okay, sweetheart. It’s me, Mommy. And Daddy is right here. We have to wear these to keep you from getting sicker, okay?”

Olivia still started to cry but relaxed into her mother. Kirsten slid the mask back up and held her close, fingering through her hair gently. “I’m here, baby. I’m not going anywhere.”

Cameron walked over to the other side and held the two girls in his arms. He now understood the pain and worries his parents had for him all throughout his life. He couldn’t imagine Olivia out of his life now that he had her. The small family was now all crying. Kirsten and Olivia slowly fell asleep while Cameron stayed awake to keep watch.

Kirsten woke up the next morning still on the bed with Olivia. She slowly sat up and looked over at Cameron who was sleeping. A doctor walked in. Kirsten shook Cameron awake.

“We’re still running tests,” said the doctor. “I’m Dr. Grayson. Right now, unfortunately, it doesn’t look like the best. We think it’s TB, which we have treatments for. We’re going to keep a close watch on your daughter. Has she woken up yet?” he asked.

Kirsten shook her head. “No. She’s been sleeping all night. Why?”

“Do you mind trying to wake her up?”

Kirsten was nervous now. She turned and gently shook Olivia. “Olive…Olive, wake up,” she said softly, leaning down close to her. “Wake up, sweetheart. Wake up…” She didn’t. “Why won’t she wake up?” she asked the doctor.

Dr. Grayson took a deep breath. “She went into a coma last night.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a very choppy chapter. It's kinda where I wanted it to end but I want to add some more. Sorry for poor quality.

A coma? A three-year-old in a _coma_? Why? Why did she have to be in a coma. Would she ever wake up? Would she get to live to see her next birthday? Would she ever meet her new sibling on the way?

Kirsten couldn’t even handle it. She just lied there with Olivia, fingering gently through her hair. She couldn’t hear what the doctor was saying and hoped that Cameron was listening. Once the doc left, she looked up at him. “What did we do wrong...?” she asked softly.

Cameron shook his head. “Nothing. Kids get sick.” He couldn’t even finish his thought before Kirsten spoke up.

“‘Kids get sick’?! That’s all you have to say? Cameron, our daughter is in a _coma_. She probably has tuberculosis, one of the deadliest illnesses and diseases in the world. And it won’t just pass, oh no. She’ll always test positive on those examines and she'll always have to explain and show medical records and all kinds of other shit. And all you have to say is ‘Kids get sick’?” She shook her head, tears on the edge of falling.

Cameron simply shook his head and walked over to her, pulling the family together in a tight hug. “I wasn’t finished,” he whispered. “Kids get sick, and she got the worst of it. But there’s nothing we could’ve done to prevent it.”

Kirsten sighed heavily, leaning into Cameron and hugging Olivia tightly. “What if she never wakes up…?” she asked softly.

Cameron bit his bottom lip. That was not something he wanted to think about. “She’ll be okay. She’s strong, like her mother.”

Kirsten sniffled softly. “Right…”

***

The next few days were hard on the both of them. For Kirsten, it felt like Olivia had been asleep in a coma for years now and she didn’t like it. It wasn’t too far off for Cameron, either, but he was able to tell the difference.

A month passed and neither of them left Olivia’s side. They made the sacrifice to suit up every time they entered the room and wash every time they left. It was especially hard on Kirsten. Her morning sickness got bad and so she wasn’t able to always stay in the room. Today, she had her three month checkup and ultrasound. She demanded that Cameron stay just in case and to call her if anything changed, no matter how small.

Unfortunately, nothing did change. Everything remained the same, including the little things like vitals and whatnot. Kirsten sighed and rested on Cameron’s shoulder. “One baby is good, the other isn’t,” she murmured.

Cameron wrapped his arms around her. “I know. But she’ll get better. I know she will.”

***

That enthusiasm barely held up. The two were forced back into work after that month despite the lack of actual working they were doing. Like her first pregnancy, Kirsten wasn’t allowed to stitch into anyone for fear it might cause health problems for the baby. She just sat in with Maggie and filled out paperwork while Cameron worked on perfecting the almost perfect machine.

Another three months passed, totaling up to four months, and still no change in Olivia’s health. The doctors had determined she had tuberculosis and began treating it.

That was two days after being admitted. Still nothing.

Every night, however, Cameron crawled into bed with Olivia, pulling her into his arms and talked softly to her. Kirsten was always sleeping on the guest bed that was provided, not knowing this was part of his routine.

“Hey, sweetheart,” he whispered into Olivia’s ear. “It’s Daddy. I know you can hear me.”

A heavy sigh came from the little girl. She almost snuggled into Cameron, making his heart flutter a bit. He didn’t want to make a big deal out of it if it was nothing. He continued to talk to her. “I got some of your books for when you wake up. And I got you a special dress. It’s a princess dress. Can you guess whose it is?”

“Who…?” said a small, soft, tiny voice.

Cameron’s heart skipped a beat this time. He stared at his daughter, his heartrate increasing drastically. “S-Sleeping Beauty. Because you’re a sleeping beauty right now.”

A smile. A smile spread across the little girl’s face. “I’m not sleeping, though, Daddy…”

Cameron hugged her tightly, squeezing his eyes shut as tight as he could. He cried softly into her hair and sniffled. “I know you’re not, baby. Not now.”

“I still like Sleeping Beauty, Daddy,” she murmured. “And I like her dress. It’s pink. Pink is my favorite color.”

Cameron nodded, kissing the top of her head. “I know it is, Pumpkin. I made sure to get you a crown and some matching shoes too.” He grabbed a piece of paper and crumbled it into a ball, throwing at Kirsten.

It wasn’t his best idea, but it was the easiest and quickest way to get her up. She was such a light sleeper. She sat up immediately. “What…?” she groaned, rolling over and trying to get comfortable again with her much larger belly.

“See, now there’s the original Sleeping Beauty,” whispered Cameron with a slight smirk.

“Cameron, what the hell are you—”

Then she heard the giggle, the distinct giggle of her favorite little girl. Her eyes shot open and she sat up all the way.

She saw Olivia laying on Cameron’s chest with her eyes barely opened and a slight smile on her face. “O-oh my god…” she murmured. She couldn’t even move. She was in so much shock. So many thoughts ran through her head.

After a minute or so of gawking, she finally slid out of bed and walked over to Olivia. “Y-you’re awake…”

Olivia giggled again. “I know. Daddy woke me up.” Cameron and Kirsten both smiled, tears in their eyes. “Why do you have a mask and gloves on, Mommy?” asked Olivia.

The two had become so accustomed to the outfit that it didn’t even occur to them that they still had it all on. “It’s just to make sure you don’t get sicker, that’s all.”

“Am I in the hop-iss-thal?” she asked, fear beginning to show in her eyes.

Kirsten could only give her the truth. She nodded simply. “You’re sick, baby. But it’s okay now. You’re okay. You’re almost all better now.”

Olivia smiled. “Good. I don’t like hops-it-als,” she said, closing her eyes and resting into Cameron more. “Why is your belly so big, Mommy?”

Kirsten glanced down, forgetting Olivia didn’t know. “Well…you’re going to have a little brother or sister,” she said with a slight smile.

Olivia opened her eyes wide. “What?! I’m-I’m-I’m going to be a big sis-sis-sister?” She still struggled with her words, and it was impressive that she could speak so fluently after being in a coma for so long.

Kirsten nodded. “Yes. Maybe I can get a doctor in here to tell us if it’s a boy or a girl.” Her next appointment wasn’t until next week and she was too excited to wait now.

Olivia stretched her arm out. “Yay! If it’s a girl, I’ll play dress up and do makeup and play with princesses with her. And if it’s a boy, I’ll-I’ll play with monster trucks and video games and play in the mud because boys like to get dirty.” Despite best efforts, she still knew the stereotypes. But it didn’t matter. She was awake and fully functioning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please, please, please! If you have any suggestions on how I can improve on this, PLEASE let me know! Thank you so much loves for reading :)

**Author's Note:**

> So...how'd I do? Did you like?
> 
> Kudos, comments, and critiques are always welcomed and greatly appreciated. Thank you so much for reading! xx


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